Too Rye Ay

I love Come On, Eileen but the rest of this album was a bit of a miss for me. None of the other songs really stood out and I didn’t really care for his voice much. 2.5/5

Not a bad album, it’s a little samey. I enjoyed the listen, but again the tracks mostly seem the same. There’s some experimentation or movement in the the songs too, sometimes it works and sometimes it feels random.

nice enough

01) The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You) - 8,0 02) Let's Make This Precious - 7,0 03) All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz) - 7,0 04) Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile) - 7,0 05) Old - 7,0 06) Plan B - 7,0 07) I'll Show You - 6,5 08) Liars A to E - 7,0 09) Until I Believe in My Soul - 6,5 10) Come On Eileen - 10,0 TOTAL: 7,30 (73/100) Current ranking: 424/898

I expected not to enjoy this but it was actually ok.i dig when they really utilize the Celtic sound to make this kind of blend of Celtic folk, soul, and new wavey pop.

Cool. Far more wavey than I expected, nice vibes throughout.

I was prepared to go the muso route and smugly declare Searching for the Young Soul Rebels and Don't Stand Me Down to be better records, but now I'm not sure. There is a remix/remaster from 2022 that gives the album a little more heft and the songs really glow. The singles (Celtic, Jackie Wilson Said and Come on Eileen) are unstoppable as are the fiddled up Rebels tunes but the vibe throughout is winning me over. They are like what Queen might have done if unburdened with being awesome. I am surprised this predates the Pogues by a couple of years - I always thought they copped the soul urchin thing from them. I wished they'd taken the next step and revived The Threepenny Opera in this configuration before moving on to their next era.

I never really gave the song “Come on Eileen” much thought and considered it something of a novelty tune at a time when MTV was rife with that kind of stuff, but I like this album. It’s rooted in traditional Irish music, but with its prominent horns and bass-forward rhythm section, it hews closer to soul and ska, and it works, with great songs to match. Nice surprise.

For all the roasting I give the list for having 3 Dexys LPs included, this is pretty great. Nice mix of horns, soul, rock and some touches of traditional British sounds. 3 is probably still too many tho.

The overall sound feels like a mix of Queen, Rush, Morrisey and Barry Manilow and that is enough to get a 5/5 from me.

Celtic rock meets New Wave. I remember cutting some rug to some of these tunes back in the 80s. There is nothing particularly interesting about this music, but it is fun and that is all it is trying to be. So instead of trying to think too deeply about this album, I decided to just chill and have fun. Sometimes that is enough.

Unique album probably unique at the time of release so it was something different and fresh to listen to. Its a fun more pop ska with their celtic heritage showing on all songs.it was really fun and a good mood changer for the algorythms of albums I have been getting.

Annoying piece of music. Was annoyed by Come On Eileen my entire life, but that's still the best thing on here.

It was meh until Come On Eileen took it down a star. That song triggers me - it's just very sad pub DJ

Outside of the last two tracks, this was mid as hell. 2.5/5

A bit of a slog to get to Come On, Eileen. Not unworth it...

Meh

This should at the very least get them upgraded to Dexys Second Shift Runners. The horns are first shifters for sure.

Only made it to 2 based on Come On Eileen

Alright. It all sounds like Come On Eileen, which is a compliment! That song has many great sounds and qualities

trying to mind my resentment for having to listen to three albums by this band (I can now confidently say I needed to listen to 0 dexys midnight runners albums before I died...) but all in all Come On Eileen is awesome and thats sorta all i gleaned from these three albums

Not my music.

Very catchy, with interesting musical elements throughout (—a little pop, a little Irish, a little British, a little jazz/soul, a little … ska?)

This album makes me wish I was a young man drinking Guinness in an Irish pub and Dexys was the band playing. It would be a raucous good time. Really solid album. With this record I'm in double digits on the project. Wild to think about.

i love come on eileen

Come On Eileen? But where on Eileen?

Muy buena. Le doy 4 puntos porque 80% muy buenas y el 20 restante medio malas

My dirty secret is that I've never been a huge fan of Come On, Eileen. This album didn't do much to change my opinion. It's fine, there's clear talent at work, but for the most part it didn't do anything for me. The one thing I do appreciate is the clear folk/Celtic music influence that pops up throughout the album...it's just that what they're doing with that isn't really my style.

Solid, not bad

This was like if the Talking Heads and Hall & Oates got together to do an upbeat Celtic soul/rock album. Most of this ranged from alright to pretty good, with the obvious standout track being ‘Come On Eileen’. There’s some instrumental tracks that are pretty good, and the group keeps the energy up throughout the album. Another solid 3/5, there just wasn’t any other songs to elevate it to a 4.

A fabulous album, glorious yet poignant from start to finish.

If you got an AI to extrapolate Come On Eileen into a whole album, it would be this. Which, is fine I guess? But a bit exhausting.

3/4

Good

I only knew two or three Dexys tracks before listening to this album. Overall I was quite surprised and impressed as was better than I thought it would be.

I kind of like his voice but the songs don't do anything for me.

The singles are great and I enjoyed the rest of the album - I'd love to have heard some of these live back in the day

I knew the obvious tunes but otherwise this was all new to me and I enjoyed it without loving it. It's perfectly suitable music to pop on to tap your toe to whilst working.

It's a very specific genre, but not one I enjoy in the context of how I typically listen to music. It has its own high energy that doesn't match how I vibe.

My partner described this album as a kind of hell where every song is almost, but not actually, Come On, Eileen. I think it was generally pretty fun, and had a unique and consistent sound. I think I got fatigued by the plaintive and playful voice of the lead singer.

Me gustó bastante

God bless Dexy Midnight Runners, Van Morrison, James Joyce—the Irish, in short.

The one Dexys Midnight Runners album that can qualify for this list, in my opinion. The songs are moving and melodic. It reminds me a bit of the structure of "A Night at the Opera", you are just waiting for the ball to drop and explode for the famous song and this album does just that with the mega-hit that everyone knows "Come on Eileen". 3/5- I would listen to this again, though some tracks aren't that memorable

PSA - The original album is 10 songs, ending with Come on Eileen. I hate that streaming services always have crazy amounts of bonus tracks. There should be an option to filter them out! That aside, this is a great album. One of the more interesting UK pop albums of the 80s, in my opinion. I do like the fusion of Irish trad and big band in here too, but can see how some might find it a bit cringe. "Eileen" is very overplayed, but you can't deny how great a song it is. Perfect for a wedding dance floor. In fact, most of these songs wouldn't be out of place on any of my party playlists - for an audience of a certain age of course! Not a full 5 star though, because is voice is sometime annoying, and there are too many false endings for my taste.

I didn't have high hopes for this after not being impressed with the other Dexy's album on the list, but this was good fun.

Celtic soul brothers and sisters on top of their groove. Dexy's were really original band combining soul, celtic folk music influences, 80's pop music etc. This is a great album with real feel good factor that makes me smile and whistle along the tunes

Violins are nice but those don't save this album from being really mid ground. The whole album is marked by a hit song and it's sound.

So very 80's, that it's almost painful. Outside of their hit song, I've not heard them almost at all and the prominence of the violin was a bit surprising.

Not sure the voicing works all the time, but when it does it contributes well to the genre-busting that makes everything here more noticeable. Can there be a glam Celtic soulish sound?

I’m up and down with this record. Come on Eileen always has this divisive power, where you are wanna sing along to it or you just groan when you hear those first bars. I was always a Dexys fan as long as I forgot about that hit. They at least are fun and quirky and distinctive.

‘Come on Eileen’ is one of my favorite songs. I dislike everything else I have heard from them

For anyone interested (i.e., no one), my other two reviews of Dexys albums noted my incredulousness at all three of the band's records being included on this list, and it bears noting again. Thankfully, for the last time. I was enjoying this album, and thinking this is easily the best of the lot, and then it just never seems to end. Half as long, might have even gotten to 4 stars. As it is, it's a 3 with the caveat that I had to stop before the end or I was going to lose my mind. Dude has a way of pressing the pain button in my brain.

This was fantastic. I've tried with this one before, and it didn't click, but this time it sure did. The only tune I'd scrap was their cover of Jackie Wilson Said. But yeah, fantastic songs, well arranged and performed. quirky good fun. Also, I love when bands put their hit as the last track. That way, it doesn't distract from the listening experience.

Always had a soft spot for these lads. I like how that Celtic/Irish vibe is both overt and subtle in their songs.

One hit wonders. Too bad, good sound, and music.

It's round two for Dexys Midnight Runners. The last album of theirs I got was thr I'll fated Don't Stand Me Down, which embraced more experimental song structures at the cost of a less interesting sound. But even though it was an admirable effort, it ended up with the worst attributes of both sides where the songs were both incredibly messy *and* boring. To start, I'll say that Too-Rye-Ay is substantially better than Don't Stand Me Down. But the early, careful steps Dexys makes towards that later territory still don't work. For the positives, this album showcases a really enjoyable Celtic folk inspired pub rock sound. The Celtic Soul Brothers, Let's Make This Precious, All In All, and Old are a great time. These songs are a little cheesy, but a lot of earnest fun and imminently listenable. And If Dexys were content with this, I think everything would have been fine. But, Kevin Rowland fell into a weirdly common pitfall. That is to say, he wasn't content with making pop-punk adjacent, Celtic rock music, and became obsessed with honoring his favorite soul albums by trying to become an inheritor of their sound. This, kept, happening, I genuinely think there may have been something in the water at this place, in this time. Anyways, in my opinion, it never worked for these guys, and it doesn't work here. I think the soul inspired songs that really populate side 2 are largely a slog, even if they're generally well executed. Rowland just can't capture the joy of the original wave of the genre. Amyways, Dexys do ultimately end up leaving a good taste in your mouth though, we end on Come On Eileen, a really good song that's really funny to me due to a complex web of inside jokes. Although, since it released, Dexys have been trying to outrun this song's capacity to make them one hit wonders. And it pretty much made them utterly collapse for a while there. Although, in the modern world, it seems as though they may have made their piece. I will say that even though this is a mixed bag for me, I really enjoyed it.The best stuff is a ton of fun, and the worst stuff can't kill my high.

The other tracks on the album didnt live up to the expectation set by Come on Eileen. Not bad but left me a bit disappointed.

Learning this band wasn't Irish was devastating. I really liked this record! I've said this before and I'll keep saying this forever and more: pop albums from the 80s and 90s are always the best. Not some soulless crap to blast on the radio everyday but a catchy LP that has had effort, skill, and heart put into it. What a voice on Kevin Rowland too, so infectious. Interesting delivery on some lines which kept me guessing where the song will go next. Kind of reminded me of Oingo Boingo at times, just less crazy. Favourites off this have to be Let's Make This Precious, Old, Until I Believe My Soul, Come On Eileen 4/5

this band is straight up ripping off The Garden.

New Wave? Blue eyed soul? Northern Soul? Celtic folk? Pick two.

Come on Eileen, why everything sounds the same? The singer's voice reminds me of Goofy.

I don't know, I didn't really understand this album. Come on Eileen is of course the only song most people have ever heard. And rest wasn't really something I thought I have been missing out on.

At its best it's very good in parts, not bad, worth a listen

I actually really enjoyed this album.

Not my thing, but still a neat peak into pop music coming out of Northern England in the 80s. I hope their other 2 albums are worth the spots they have in this book/list though, because this album alone hasnt really sold me on them. 6.5/10.

I find the overall sound pretty interesting even if it doesn't step out of it much. Come On Eileen works amazingly as the final track at least.

6.5/10 Come On Eileen is cool but the rest isn't very different, it's not bad though.

I always thought there was a comma in the title of, “Come On Eileen.” The fact that there isn’t changes everything. Seriously, that song is so well known that every track sounded like the singer wanted to belt it out. But the instrumentation and arrangements carried things along well enough to keep it interesting. 3.5* rounding down for punctuation.

Strings and horns in the right balance. Van Morrison cover isn’t much changed, but that’s not a bad thing, in this case.

My rating 2.3. One hit wonders.

Teilweise etwas cheesy, aber hat schon echt was. Knappe 4 Sterne und ich packe es auf meine "Entdeckungsliste".

cam on eileen

Brilliant!! Often albums with a big hit are pretty mediocre, but this was consistent in quality throughout. Great punchy horn sections, snazzy strings and strong vocals! High 4

It's--Come On Eileen?! oh em gee! I didn't know they did other songs! I liked "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven)" and Old was good, too. Overall a fun album but not one I'm likely to revisit. Just sort of upbeat fun.

More stuff on here that I knew than I expected. Fun.

Come On Eileen really carries this

I liked this album

Fun and varied

Looking at the discography for Dexy's Midnight Runners, I realize every single album they put out prior to 2012 is in this book. All three albums they put out in the 80's are here. I mentioned this during my review of their second album, but was that necessary? Do I need all of Dexy's music from the 80's in my head? Absolutely not. I don't know. What I am hearing on this album sounds a lot like what I heard on the other three Dexy albums, with slight variations of course. Are the slight variations enough to create this as worthy of inclusion. I would argue not, that one of the albums could be left out (and I would suggest the one I gave two stars as being the one that gets left out). The cover of Jackie Wilson by Van Morrison was fine and I liked how it tried to be somewhat different from the Van Morrison version of the song. Overall, I would place this one close to the Dexy's album I gave 4 stars to. It fell off a bit at the end for me, but perhaps that was because the front half of the album was so good. My favorite tracks: The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You) Let's Make This Precious Jackie Wilson Plan B Liars A to E Come on Eileen

It’s like old school Amish ska

Un disco para alegrarte el día. Cumple perfectamente y fue un soplo de aire fresco.

more like a 7.2

***a good, fun, and easy listening album

Come on Eileen was amazing, but the rest of the album was not. 2.6

I enjoyed most of this album. I loved, "Come On Eileen" when I first heard the song on the radio, and I still loved it when listening to it on this album. I would list "Reminisce (Pt. 1) as my least favorite song on this album as I didn't really consider it a song. I was glad when it was finished, and really what was with the screams near the end?

Après s’être coltiné la chute, le crash, l’auto-immolation en règle qu’était Don't Stand Me Down (et son honnête mais frustrant 3/5), il fallait bien que je revienne en arrière. Quand Too-Rye-Ay déboule dans les bacs, je n'ai que 12 ans. Et à cet âge-là, en 1982, on ne choisit pas vraiment ce qu'on bouffe à la radio. On subit le matraquage, et le matraquage, cette année-là, il a un nom de fille qui va hanter toutes les boums de collège : Eileen. Eileen, elle était partout, à la télé, dans les transistors, dans les centres commerciaux et "Come On Eileen", c’est le tube qui a failli bouffer tout le reste du disque, voire toute la carrière du groupe. C’est le morceau qui a transformé les Dexys Midnight Runners en une sorte de caricature de groupe folklorique pour le grand public, alors que le projet était tellement plus tordu que ça. Car derrière la salopette crasseuse et le bonnet de Rowland, il y avait un plan de domination mondiale basé sur un mélange improbable entre la ferveur du Northern Soul et le mysticisme des collines irlandaises. Ce qui me saute à la gueule quand je remets ce vinyle aujourd'hui, c'est à quel point c'est organique. En 1982, la New Wave commençait à s’enfermer dans des boîtes à rythmes froides et des synthés en plastique. Les Dexys, eux, faisaient le chemin inverse, ils allaient chercher la terre, la boue, le craquement de la corde. "The Celtic Soul Brothers", le morceau qui ouvre le bal, est une déclaration de guerre à la modernité de l'époque. Ça galope, ça s'envole, c'est une sorte de fête foraine qui aurait mal tourné, mais avec une classe folle. Rowland, ce génie insupportable, ce dictateur de studio, a réussi à canaliser son obsession pour Van Morrison sans tomber dans le plagiat pur et dur. Et d'ailleurs, il reprend "Jackie Wilson Said", c’est presque arrogant mais ça fonctionne parce qu’ils y mettent une énergie de punk déguisé en fermier. Il y a aussi des moments de grâce absolue, des envolées de cordes qui te filent des frissons, même si tu as horreur du folklore. On sent que le groupe est au sommet de sa cohésion physique, juste avant que Rowland ne décide de tout saborder par pur perfectionnisme maladif. Quarante ans après et malgré toutes mes réserves, l'album reste frais et ne sonne pas daté. Pourquoi ? Parce que le bois et les cuivres ne vieillissent pas comme les processeurs. Alors pourquoi je ne lâche qu'un 3 sur 5 ? Car on pourrait se dire qu'un tel monument mérite le tapis rouge ? Pourquoi ? Parce que le génie de Rowland est aussi son plus gros défaut. C’est l’album de la consécration, celui qui a permis à Rowland de devenir une star avant de décider que, finalement, être une star, c'était de la merde. C’est un disque de transition, entre la soul puriste du premier album et le chaos expérimental du troisième. C’est du folk-soul de haut vol, mais c'est aussi le début de la fin pour la santé mentale de Rowland au sein de ce groupe. Au final, on retiendra du groupe deux albums et deux 3/5. L’un est un chef-d’œuvre raté, l’autre est un succès presque trop parfait. Un bien étrange équilibre. Alors oui, Too-Rye-Ay est indispensable dans cette liste des 1001 albums. Non pas parce qu'il est parfait du début à la fin, mais parce qu'il représente une anomalie magnifique dans l'histoire de la pop des années 80. Too-Rye-Ay est un album qui a prouvé qu'on pouvait mélanger les racines celtes et la soul américaine sans que ça ressemble à une mauvaise blague.

Finally, it is Too Rye Aye. The best DMR album by a landslide and an all around excellent album. The title track is our favourite, but there are lots of strong contenders on here.

Great album for 900. I think they deserve a 5, very good vibes.

So much more than one hit wonders! The new wave successors of Van Morrison.

This album is very very funny. It's really such an enjoyable album, with so many great songs. I didn't know what to expect, but I've been into it since the first song started, and my interest on the album hasn't declined the least as the songs have gone on. I've loved it, completely. It may not be the most interesting thing, but, wow, what a time I've had listening to it. It is really worth it, and all my love towards it too. What a great record!

A great one. A couple days late for St. Pat's, but that's okay.

Hey ... what do you know ... I have officially listened to more than just "Come On Eileen"

Very ridiculous but very fun

really good but it's a bit much innit

This is another record on this list just because it had one super humongous hit. This just isn't good.

Come On Eileen was not good enough to make an album out of, let alone an entire band. It was certainly less of a total waste of time than the other Dexys album I got, but it was still a pretty crap listen that I did not enjoy at all. Completely incoherent collection of rambling nonsense. Also the guy's voice annoyed me.

Come on Eileen n geiler Song, aber der Rest war eher "ging so"

come on eileen

Nicht erwartet, dass ich davon ein Lied kenne bis Come on Eileen. War überrascht. Ganz nett, 3 positive Sternchen

Nod bad, 2.5/5 I was thinking most of the way through how much it sounded like that 'Come on Eileen' song which I momentarily thought was The Cure for some reason.

Meh

Couldn’t vibe with the songs

Jamais embarqué dans ce groupe. Un mélange très pop de Cure et Pogues.

too-ra-loo-ra-too-ra-loo-rye-'aye! La seule toune que je connaissais d'eux apparemment, mais vraiment entraînant et catchy! j'aime l'instrumentation un peu celtique et la voix du chanteur un peu plaintive mais aussi pleine de flegme anglais, un peu à la David Byrne. Vais-je y revenir qui sait? mais c'est un 3.5, j'ai mieux aimé que leur autre album.

Non. C’est pas très bon. Come on eileen bon succès mais à part ça c’est assez bland, faussement joyeux.

He can sing. But kinda giving too much chest voice - my ears get tired very quickly if the lead vocals don’t give me enough time and space to rest. Music wise, a happy album yeeeh

this album was stellar, in my humble opinion. 'Come on Eileen' was obviously the star of the show, but man everything else just flowed so well and was so fun. the fiddle, the horns, it all just comes together to make a really fun and unique album. especially this being during the 80's, when glam-pop was really taking the music scene by force. this album really really stands out. i will also say, that i really love the song 'Come on Eileen'. it will forever bring me back to a very sweet memory. in high school, my family got really into SingStar, a game on the PS2 where you had microphones and basically did battle karaoke. there was a phase of our lives for a few years, where we would all sit in the living room as a family, play SingStar, and battle it out. there was a lot of laughter, competitiveness, and fun in that living room on those nights. its one of my favorite memories in what was a rather impressionable/hectic time of my life. that said, cheers to Dexys Midnight Runners. this album was awesome

I listened to this album twice, the second on a road trip hoping it would add to the experience. Ultimately it did improve it, but not by a lot. Jackie Wilson Said and Come on Eileen remained the best songs and the rest of the album flows right along. Was hoping to boost this to a four, but I’ll stick with a three.

Apparently I have never listened to the full version of "Come On Eileen" before this album. Not sure why I never tried to seek out the band that sings it before. Some songs I really liked and others were just ok. I'm at a 3.5, but I'll probably drop it to a 3 because I can't recall any other song at the moment.

thought this was a one hit wonder situation but I liked the whole album !!

In the midst of synthesizers, drum machines and avant garde fashion, here came Dexys wearing overalls and playing banjos. “Come on Eileen” gets better the deeper you examine it, and “Jackie Wilson Said” blends the Celtic folk sound with 1969s R&B. There aren’t enough musical ideas to last a whole album, but this still sounds like a breath of fresh air.

The brass section were always a highlight of Dexys and they are at there best in some songs here. Some truly great numbers, trouble is it loses it's way towards meh in the second half only to be rescued by the "even though I have heard it too many times" come on Eileen, that stands out. Some great songs, just not enough.

Blind album, know the artist and the hit. I was never a huge fan of the hit to begin with but I totally understand the style and the way the band sounds. Still couldn't change my perspective of the album though. It's okay.

Too-Rye-Ay erschien 1982 und ist das zweite Album der britischen Band um Sänger Kevin Rowland. Dexys Midnight Runners stammen aus England und verbanden hier Elemente von New Wave, Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul und keltisch geprägtem Folk zu einem eigenständigen Stil. Aufgenommen wurde das Album zwischen Dezember 1981 und März 1982 in den Genetic Studios in Streatley (Berkshire). Musikalisch fällt die deutliche Veränderung gegenüber dem Debüt auf: Bläser treten in den Hintergrund, während Geigen und akustische Instrumente eine größere Rolle spielen. Songs wie „The Celtic Soul Brothers“, „Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)“ und vor allem „Come On Eileen“ zeigen diese Mischung aus Soul-Tradition und folkigen Melodien. Letzterer entwickelte sich zu einem internationalen Hit und prägt bis heute die Wahrnehmung des Albums. Der Klang wirkt bewusst rau und emotional, getragen von Rowlands charakteristischem Gesang und der dichten Instrumentierung. Zwischen Pop-Eingängigkeit und traditionell gefärbten Arrangements entsteht eine eigenwillige Atmosphäre, die dem Album einen klaren Wiedererkennungswert gibt. Insgesamt ein prägnantes Dokument der frühen achtziger Jahre mit einem unverwechselbaren musikalischen Ansatz.

Maybe big overseas but this is one of those one hit wonder bands here. I love the song come on Eileen. The record is really well produced. This a fun listen - I think it’s Irish, certainly not British. I need to understand the countries of the UK - is Ireland part of it? What is North Ireland - is that a thing? Wales? Scotland? It’s all so confusing.

Liked the energy on this one. Vocals were very expressive and the frontman's voice itself is great. Celtic motives and the instrumental aspect were also very good. It feels like a cd you discover in your parents car. Kind, uplifting, designed for pubs and meetings with friends.

I didn't hate this but I didn't like very much about it. The songs are very fluffy. I don't like this guys voice. If we could do half stars this would be 2.5.

Более театральный Madness

Nice enough to listen to; Kevin Rowlands' vocal style is a bit much after a while, though.

Sean Tanos  [11:30 AM] I don't think I had heard any of Dexy's songs other than Come on Eileen. Reminisce - Pt 1 was very engaging, though in August 1980 I was just a few months old, so before memory. The rest of the album was solid pop played with horns.

It’s not a bad album. I feel like this would really be my jam back in the day and probably one of my favourite bands.

More vigor and strong energy in the album! Thoroughly enjoyed it

Some bands deserve to be one hit wonders. These guys don’t. Every single song on here is a ton of fun and so many of the musical choices they make had me nodding and saying “nice.” Will revisit, will expand my listening. Wonderful surprise

I have a weakness for Celtic music and New Wave so combining them as skillfully as these guys do has my knees knockin' and brow wet.

It's a fun listen, but I don't know if I'll come back for anything except Eileen

I was surprised by this one- I was only familiar with Come on Eileen going in, but this album actually has a range of musical styles and sounds. The use of backing vocals was nice and the "Irishness" felt in come on eileen is not quite as prevalent throughout the rest of the album. Overall- good album

boring and kinda unc

I don't get what the fuss is about? A sixth-form project Pogues tribute-act

Come on Eileen is the only great song on the album.

Fun pop record I never listened to before. Obviously very well know Come On Eileen, altough we should all admit that the Save Farris is much better. The combo of new wave and their particular celtic influences make a unique sound. Sadly i'm not quite interested in listening to it again.

come on eileen is just such a classic but that doesn’t give this album much. There was a part of this where the lead singer was just moaning into my headphones which i found so unpleasant and uncomfortable. but i didn’t hate it…

I was going to give this a 4 but the ridiculous amount of extra/repeat tracks at the end is an immediate minus point.

Obviously Come On Eileen is a classic, but having once watched a TV show where a man in a hazmat suit stabbed a women to death to this song, it's never been quite the same for me. Apart from that, this was a great album with some fun songs.

Surprised by how much I enjoyed some of the tracks on here. But it's impossible to escape the overplayed sensation of Come On Eileen

Nou, vorige keer vond ik het echt een lekker album. En dat was nog zonder de grote hit! Die is deze keer wél aanwezig, ik hoop hier nu een nieuw favoriet bandje te ontdekken, zou ook wel een leuke verrassing zijn! God, ze pakken me weer hoor, er zit hier zo'n moddervette blazerssectie bij, hoe kun je hier niet van houden? Ook wel eens leuk om te zien dat de grote hit het laatste nummer is, waar het meestal als eerste op een album staat. Goeie uitstmijter zeg maar. De zanger is een beetje een vreemde gast, qua stemgeluid. Maar de albums zijn kort genoeg en vooral de muziek is goed genoeg dat ik me er niet aan irriteer. Niet aan irriteer, mits er sprake is van een wat hoger tempo. Want This One Last Wild Walz, that aint it chief. Daar komen de tekortkomingen van de zanger behoorlijk aan het licht om dan weer te verdwijnen bij het volgende nummer. Na een kleine Wikipedia deep dive is dit blijkbaar het eerste album met deze zanger en hadden ze hiervoor een andere zanger met meer blazers, dat verklaart een hele hoop over waarom ik zo verbaas was dat dit de band achter Come on Eileen was. Ik ben denk ik iets meer fan van het debuut album, maar tot nu toe funkt dit nog steeds keihard. Heel vet hoe Plan B meteen doorloopt naar I'll show you, ik hou daar als DJ natuurlijk heel erg van. Ja ik vind het wederom een lekker album, maar toegegeven, het debuut vind ik gewoon een stukje beter. Kan ook te maken hebben met dat dit album een ruim uur duurt en dat is misschien net iets te veel van het goede. Wel vind ik Dexys een ontzettend interessante band, ook wel eens leuk om nieuwe muziek te leren kennen! FAVO: Let's make this precious, Jackie Wilson Said, Until I believe in My Soul, Come on Eileen

Occasional moments of sing-along anthems, otherwise just a pleasant ride

This album managed to inspire indifference despite the lead singer's voice being kind of annoying. (especially his vibrato)

2.4 2x not great, but i still like come on eileen

This was like listening to a good party

This is the third Dexy’s Midnight Runners album on this list… feels like overkill…

Good album with all time banger Come on Eileen. 7.3/10

Med risk för att göra mig ovän med Dagge på livstid så är jag inte överförtjust i Dexys två första, och av de tre "riktiga" Dexys albumen är detta det minst tilltalande. Jag gillar tillvägagångssättet att försöka göra nån slags hembrygd brittisk soul i popbandstappning, ungefär på samma sätt som 2 Tones-banden (t.ex. Madness, The Specials) gjorde med skamusik samtidigt. Men det finns nåt överspelat och konstlat hos tidiga Dexys (gäller även debuten) som jag inte kommer undan. Allt blir liksom för upptrissat, i musiken men framförallt i uttrycket. Får mig faktiskt att tänka på The Hives (absolut ingen jämförelse i övrigt) som lider av exakt samma sak i just det hänseendet. Albumet är också lite väl blåstungt (och fiol). Det brassas på i tid ocb otid, det blir lite tröttsamt och förutsägbart. Däremot, bortsett från öppningslåten och Come on Eileen, är inte det irländska inslaget nämnvärt störande. Dexys styrka är heller inte att skriva bra låtar, det är ganska tydligt. Bästa låt är egentligen helt utan konkurrens covern på Van Morrison, även om den inte är i närheten av Vans version. Det var samma sak på debutskivan, även där är bästa låt en cover (Seven days too long) eller tänk på Rowlands coverskiva My beauty. Det är talande, förtjänsterna hos Rowlands ligger nån annanstans än i låtskriveriet. Med allt detta sagt finns det också en del som är riktigt bra. Det är svängigt och ganska så kul. Kevin är en lysande frontman som man gillar av bara farten. Här finns en övertygelse och ett patos som är starkt, även om det slår över ibland. Och kanske det allra viktigaste, det är sympatiskt för att det är anti-rock och så omacho, det blir ett subtilt ställningstagande av det. För min del om jag vill ha hembrygd soul i brittisk popbandsvariant från tidigt 80tal väljer The Jams två sista album framför Dexys två första. Dexy blir lite för mycket den för fulla kusinen med dom lite sämre skänten på festen. Orkar inte riktig upp över godkänt, men det är en stark tvåa

Bra jämn nivå på den här skivan. Liars A to E sticker ut som bästa låt. Let’s make this precious en annan höjadare. Och Come on Eilen är en klassiker med all rätt. Ja, här finns egentligen inga direkt svaga låtar. Det enda jag stör mig lite på är det klickiga ljudet på bastrumman som ligger väldigt högt i mixen.

Efter att beklagat sig över den irländska folkmusiken insamband med Pouges för ett par dagar sedan får vi nu åter ett album som tagit inspiration från den gröna ön. Resultatet blir emellertid något helt annat. Rowland har genom hela sin karriär besuttit en enorm förmåga att plocka russinen från varenda kaka i konditoriet. Å det är ju i sig en bedrift. Men att sedan lyckas blanda samman ingredienserna till något än njutbart är ytterst få förunnade (Clash kan väl räknas in här). Fiolen går hör sitt intåg på bandets andra platta. Hur man går folkmusikfelan att låta så mycket soul är lite av en gåta, men som sagt även en viktig del i Dexys storhet. använder folkmusik. Ljudmattan som fanns redan på Searching… finns kvar. Ändå känns alltid arrangemangen luftiga. Varje instrument får ta sin plats. Låtmässigt är det förstås bra, även om inte varje spår når upp i absoluta världsklass. Bortsett från underbara Let’s make this precious är B-sidan starkast (inte minst avslutningen med Until I…och Kom igen Lena). Antagligen det svagaste av Dexys 80-talsalbum, men det beror snarare på mördande konkurrens än bristande kvalitet. Klarar finaste betyget med lätt darr på ribban.

Jag alla de tre första dexy's albumen väldigt högt. Som brukligt med den här listan verkar hits vara ett kriterium för val av album. Too Rye kan ibland upplevas ha för mycket banjo och fiol, men i mitt tycke är det ett utmärkt soulalbum och inte minst en mot kultur mot 80-talets enformighet. Här finns mängder med riktigt bra låtar, inte minst b-sidan med Plan b, I'll show you och Liars a to e. Och a-sidans let's make this Precious går inte att bortse ifrån. Och Kevins röst är fantastiskt.

Never heard this all the way through and I doubt I will ever again. I did appreciate the fact that the hit was buried within the album, and yeah, if it ever comes on in a party atmosphere I’m gonna sing it, but I just don’t like his voice.

Come on Eileen!!! or sum A lot better than what I was expecting for sure from what I would consider one hit wonders. I like their cover of Jackie Wilson said surprisingly. I’m lowkey crazy tired though so might hurt the score seeing as though it’s like an hour long!

Solid album. Come on Eileen is the obvious standout but the rest of the album was a fun experience, as well.

A whole lot of meh, aside from the one track everyone knows. Outside of that hit, the rest of the album doesn’t leave much of an impression and fades perfectly into the background.

top 3 - Old, Let's Make This Precious. Unsure for the third one. Not really a fan of the vocals, found them annoying. Even if the vocals weren’t there, I was just kinda bored and waiting for this to finish. Seeing that this band has three albums (including this) on this website is not making me that excited. To stay somewhat optimistic though, I'm hoping I enjoy at least one of those better.. :’)

Everyone has, of course, heard "Come on Eileen" - which is a fine enough song albeit overplayed. I was interested to hear what else this band would produce, especially with the lead singer's unique voice, but it didn't really hook me. I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. - Heard before? Nothing besides "Eileen". - Will I listen again? No. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Nope.

As fun as Come On Eileen is, it never occurred to me to find out if they had any other music. The lead singer has an overly-dramatic vocal style, and I gotta say I'm not a fan. The horns on this remind me a little of 80s ska like Madness. In many spots, the drummer sounded like he wished he was dead. If it weren't for Come On Eileen, I would rate this a 1-star or lower. In fact, now that I've heard the rest of the record, I think I like the song less.

800million+ listens to Eileen plus some other songs.

Come On Eileen is a very very good song. Everything else? Not so much. Definitely a one hit wonder. So how do they have 2 more albums on the list?

I was mightily happy to see a Dexys record crop up here, even if it is the wrong one! Personally, I think Searching For The Young Soul Rebel stands head and shoulders above this one in essentiality, if that's a word. I can't help thinking that the inclusion of Too Rye Ay instead, absolutely wonderful as it is, only helps to confirm most peoples view that Dexys only had one song, or two at most; that they were something of a novelty act and their most memorable career highlight was performing on Top of the Pops in front of a picture of a darts player. But seriously - just LISTEN to this record. Loud. It's a joyously brilliant album, with tunes that sear themselves into your brain. Kevin Rowland really is something of an under-appreciated creative genius - I will never tire of listening to this record.

I suppose Kevin Rowlands voice is a bit of a marmite thing, thankfully I fall firmly in the like camp. While Come On Eileen is what they are known for by a country mile, it's a shame because the whole album is a great pop marvel. It wasn't until I listened to this that I realised, to my shame, it is also a Dexys album that I don't have. I must remedy that immediately...

Honestly, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. A great amalgam of folk, ska and R&B. On a separate note, while reading the wiki article for this album, I saw it described as "blue-eyed soul", which is a term I was not familiar with. I just gotta say, what a fucking stupid term, haha.

This was completely fine. I liked a lot of the string instrumentation going on in this, it was very unique to this album and I wouldn’t say I could think of many others like it in that way. The blend of styles on this is nice, but I wouldn’t say be lying if I said it all worked as songs sort of blended with each other in certain ways. I’m not sure I was a fan of the vocals, as much as I appreciate the vulnerability of them, it did begin to get a little tedious. Yeah some good tracks but won’t be revisiting

Excellent

Good thing I looked at Wikipedia before I wrote this. I thought the band was Irish - they are not! This album doesn't feel musically consequential but it was a fun listen regardless.

# Album Name: Too Rye Ay # Artist: DMR # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Pretty average. couple of good tracks. One big one. But i was expecting so much more out of this. eileen saved this from being a 3. Low 4. # Top Tunes: Jackie wilson / come on eileen / CSB # Would I listen to it again? No tracks only

This is some silly nonsense. Did not need to listen to an entire album of it. Like most people I've heard "Come on Eileen" 100 times. That would have been sufficient. The rest of the songs are the same, but worse. The only positive thing I can think to say for this is that it is distinctive. Play me a single lyric from this album and I would say "oh, is that Dexy's Midnight Runners?" They found their thing and went with it. They should have gotten into children's music, could have done great putting on shows at local theaters with comedic outfits and funny lyrics. Maybe the medium sized town public library circuit. It sounds like balloon animals. Maybe I just hate fun, but I dislike this album and am barely giving 2 stars. Edit, I've just seen that they have three albums on the list!?! How can that be? I am flabbergasted and will be giving all three albums 1 star in protest.

Sólido tres. No sobresale demasiado pero tampoco está mal

come in eileen absolute banger of all time always a delight to listen to. tsop reminds me of the grease soundtrack.

Quirky and fun, but like when a 50-year-old is past the point of midlife crisis, doesn't settle down, and describes himself as having a "youthful spirit". That being said, the old guy can actually still keep up somehow, even if that's 80% thanks to "Come on Eileen".

Sounds like some shit Pat would listen to

For whatever reason, I remember Emma Watson's character calling Come On Eileen "Actually Good Music" in the The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It's a great song, the rest I could go the rest of my life without hearing again. I especially hated the mix of the chorus, the singing, and the instrumentation on Liars A to E.

yoooo I liked this way more than I expected. I’ve heard Come On Eileen 5000 times before at bars and have fond cocaine come up memories on makeshift dance floors that come back when I hear it. there’s a bunch of great songs on here — well played and well captured with a fair share of thrilling and earnest moments. I’m not familiar with any of the rest of their music but this has me intrigued.

I used to sit in the basement, eating pop tarts, dipping snuff and ripping dad's cigarettes while binging VHS's top 100 from the <decade>'s list. Come on Eileen was one of my favorite to come on the 80s. Thought the songs were unique, just not my thing.

Much like “Smash” had Joe and Mitchell questioning the entries on this list, this one has me going down the conspiracy rabbit hole. Dexys Midnight Runners is a one-hit wonder band, so much so that even though I’ve heard “Come On, Eileen” as many times as any other person with three decades on this planet, I’d never even heard this band’s name before. So it’s completely baffling that there’s not just one, but THREE albums of theirs on this list!? My current explanation is that the maker of this last had these three DMR albums on record growing up in Britain. He loved them. He played them every day. And as he got older and became a music journalist, he grew resentful that people laughed at his love for DMR at industry parties. And so then, he set out to make this list and get it published in a book, so that Dexys Midnight Runners could take their rightful place beside The Beatles, John Coltrane, and The Offspring. Anyway, 2 stars because “Come On, Eileen” is great.

This took me back... my dad's favorite song was Come on Eileen growing up. Very nostalgic. As far as the full album....The second half was much better than the first.

no se si este album me encanto porque no soy muy de folk celtico pero come on eileen es un tremendisimo temazo que le tiene que gustar a cualquier persona de este mundo sin excepcion

Dexy's always sounded great - musically excellent and really tight arrangements, though Kevin Rowland's voice does have the capacity to grate somewhat in large doses. This isn't quite as impactful as their debut for me but maybe more polished - some of the songs are quite depressing in content really but masked by upbeat horns, strings and cheerful piano. The opening two tracks stand out but this is best known of course for Come On Eileen (obviously overplayed but stunning) and the excellent Van Morrison cover 'Jackie Wilson Said' which does the original justice (not an easy task).

one hit wonder lmao

Old...and sounds like it.

Another album I would have liked much better if not for the vocals. Three stars.

The horns on Dubious were pretty good. And Come on Eileen is certainly catchy, but that much couldn't bring anything beyond a 2 here. Some of it was so screechy and cringey that it was hard to listen to. And the vocalist is kind of like a silly version of Robert Smith that was grating on me. I ended up happily skipping the final few tracks

Overall, this album is better than the other one I had earlier. Still, doesn't do a whole lot for me. I still love Come On Eileen, prolly in large part due to nostalgia. But really it's where they lean most heavily into Irish traditional instrumentation augmented by the horns while doing soul music. That gives it something unique that sets it apart from all the other 80s blue-eyed soul to come out of the British isles. 3 stars.

New wave, Celtic folk, pop, blue-eyed soul.

I'm a big Dexys fan, seen them twice and love the new albums. This is 42 minutes of concentrated brilliance from a true maverick innovator human tornado who was always looking to be ahead of the game, no matter what he had to achieve to do it. The focus and love on soul music set them apart on the debut and here the folk element takes them even further from their contemporaries. They have three albums on here because they were a really important band and the first two were successful despite being incredible Oddities in music of the time. The third was an insane flop (Don't Stand Me Down) but is now probably their best regarded album by fans, for all the reasons that it wasn't successful. The guy was a total disaster in so many ways, but probably had the biggest balls in bravery in any singer and band leader I've ever known. He even dressed in women's underwear on the cover of a solo album once he'd got himself straight from drink and drugs. I simply find this one hard to fault, apart from the production at times but that's even been fixed on the "as it should have been" new version.

ohh banger. particularly liked "old" and "come on aileen"

549/1001

I don't care

I'm really not a fan of Dexys and a third album on this list really doesn't help.

To have 3 albums by this band in the 1001 albums generator while having no Phil Collins or Slowdive is kind of the most imbecile thing you could ever think of.

Insufferably Irish

One wonders how these blokes were even one hit wonders.

With the album cover I thought this was gonna be worse, was alright Will I listen to again: 10%

I didn’t think I’d ever listened to a full Dexy’s album but the second this started I was immediately transported back to weekend mornings in my childhood home and this being blasted from downstairs by my mam/ stepdad all windows open cookin/cleaning. A very fun trip down memory lane and certainly something that I like! But I’m not convinced it’s a must listen. Nonetheless it’s one I’ve enjoyed!

Come on Eileen is a classic for a reason!

My final DMR album is here, and it happens to be the only album of theirs where I know one of the songs beforehand. I enjoyed their debut album, giving it four stars, but I really didn’t care much for Don’t Stand Me Down. I have no idea how I’m going to feel about Too-Rye-Ay, but at least “Come On Eileen” will be waiting for me at the end! Too-Rye-Ay won’t be getting five stars from me, but I thought it was a solid and enjoyable pop record. Like Young Soul Rebels, Kevin Rowland’s vocals are excellent, despite the fact that I can’t usually make out what he’s saying. DMR did a great job of weaving traditional Celtic sounds into their unique take on blue-eyed soul music, creating some fun and beautiful arrangements with horns and string sections. It’s a shame that only “Come On Eileen” got ample radio play in the states, because there are some really good songs on this album. I traditionally only listen to the original track listing of albums, but after “Come On Eileen,” I kept the party going and checked out “Show Me,” and it’s a damn shame it didn’t make the original cut of the album. Some notes on the songs that stood out to me: "Let's Make This Precious" had some really great horn playing, evoking some ska roots. I really liked the way the lead and backing vocals were arranged and layered. I loved how the bridge started of a cappella, and then had the keyboard come in, and then shifting to the violin in the final stretch. “All In All” had some great vocals, and I really liked the lyrics too. This song was really effective at tackling the album’s of nostalgia and reflecting on one’s youth. I’m estranged from my parents, so this song really hit home with me. DRM’s cover of Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said” was great. The organ and guitar created a really full and rich sound. “Come On Eileen” is one of my favorite songs from the eighties, and even though I’ve heard it countless times, I still love it. The fiddle, the thump of the bass, and the piano slide in the introduction are all so perfect, and they bring a smile to my face every time I hear them. I love the contrast between the verse and chorus as well, but the bridge is an absolute blast. Every time I hear that bridge pick up in intensity, I can just picture people tearing up a dance floor. What a perfect and unique pop song. Too-Rye-Ay isn’t a perfect album, but it has a really unique pop sound, and its lyrics do a great job of exploring themes of youth and coming of age.

Come On Eileen is great. The rest was ok and not as memorable

Annoyingly cheerful feel-good pop. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, but the overly upbeat chorus and Rowland's irritating, whiny voice were not a pleasant experience for me. Every song tries to be Come On Eileen, without much success ; you have to wait to the end of the abum to get this one. And even then, it's a song that has been overplayed to death, which makes it hard to enjoy. DMR is a one-hit wonder that deserved to have one album on this list - but certainly not their entire fucking discography. It also doesn't help that I got this right after a winning streak of five excellent albums... Too Rye Ay sounded artificial and vacuous by comparison. And I belong to the minority of people who kind of enjoyed their third album, so that says a lot. The whole thing is very weak in my opinion. I started by giving it a 1*, but I realized I was just being grumpy, so I bumped them up a bit. I'll admit there's a few catchy moments here and there, and I didn't truly hate this album - I just found it very boring. 3/10

I can't get lower than 4 for it's one of the over listened cassette album of my teenage. The violins makes it colour and I am not sure how it could be without... great to listen a few times again.

This is their second album on this list. Fair enough… It feels less like a soul parody than the one that came after, and there’s at least one proper hit here. What stands out most is the mood which is genuinely joyful. The reggae / ska touches, especially through the brass, and even the slightly Celtic-leaning violin bits, work very well. It sounds like a band enjoying itself, and that energy carries the record. I won’t rush to replay it, but I connect with it way more than most synth pop from the same era. A bit of honest good mood on a grey day never hurts. 2.5 / 5. Seriously, rating stuff on only five tiers is rough.

Anyone who says Dexys were a one hit wonder are fools. Great tunes here, and loved the album flow. Bonus tracks I liked quite a bit!

My second from Dexys after Don’t Stand Me Down which I absolutely detested. It’s a decent enough album. Apart from the singles I hadn’t heard anything from it before. Until I Believe In My Soul was looking like it was going to be the standout for me but it went on a bit too long. The only track I flat out disliked was Jackie Wilson Said. Top Track - Old

Very good

Classsic

Just ok

This is like a guilty pleasure album. I want to not like it, but I do. I think it’s a bit to do with nostalgia and my dad liking the band but it is quite good. I really think musically it can be interesting and I enjoy the bluntness of some of the story telling.

Didn't enjoy this. I've never been a fan really, Dexys has always sounded like cosplay folk-pop to me I could never really buy into it. Rowland's voice goes straight through me. If you see me singing along to 'Come On Eileen' at a wedding it is through gritted teeth. I didn't listen to the bonus tracks.

Acceptable. Not sure I NEEDED to listen to this before I die.

Not for me, but not bad.

This is a seriously good album. Dexy’s are criminally underrated. Enjoy the horns and the violins, and whilst Kevin Rowland is not the world’s strongest singer, I believe he has soul. A great discovery

Different style and a good closer. Some forgettable songs but not bad. 3/5

Definitely know Eilieen! But haven't heard anything else. Hearing those violins, it's like they splashed "Celtic" everywhere; like they were trying on every form of pop rock and soul trendy at the time. Still found this record lively and fitting with my music taste

I wasn't looking forward to this, but I hadn't expected it to be quite as bad as it was. It really captures that "people with day jobs who play in a band at the weekend and annoy people trying to enjoy a quiet drink" vibe. It's really terrible from start to finish, to the point where every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it got worse. The "farty horns" in "I'll Show You" will haunt me for days. The icing on the cake is the overplayed hit that ruined so many nights out in the 80s, "Come on Eileen". My top tip to anyone listening to this on Spotify is to stop after ten tracks, as that's when the original album ended. Save yourself some misery. One star.

Well, it finally happened. I can finally have an opinion on Dexys Midnight Runners. Yes, rather infamously, Dexys Midnight Runners of all bands were given THREE WHOLE ALBUMS on this list despite often being considered a one-hit-wonder... at least here in the US. Over in the UK, it seems Kevin Rowland and the gang were a much bigger deal. A big enough deal to warrant taking up three slots on this album list? No. Absolutely not. Then again, I wasn't there so I can't fully speak on their fame. But still, it's kinda dumb to give them any more than one album on a list like this. But, if you were to give them an album, which would be justifiable, it would be Too-Rye-Ay. Why is this? Well, It's simple. This is the one with the aforementioned "one hit." Yeah, I might as well start the review by talking about "Come On Eileen," though I'm not sure that there's much I can say that hasn't been said already. It's just a good song, okay? It's catchy, it's fun, and it's got a nice message to it. I am more than okay with this song being as big as it is. But what about the rest of the album? Does Too-Rye-Ay boil down to "'Come On Eileen' and 9 other songs" or is it actually a consistently good album? Well, I'm happy to report that it's the latter! I actually liked this album quite a bit! It's got a pretty unique style all things considered, what with the strings and horns and such. I think the album's fun. The album's consistent enough in tone to feel like a cohesive project, but not so monotonous as to make the album feel like a waste of time. Kevin Rowland's vocals are... an acquired taste, but I think they work well enough on certain songs. The lyrics are respectable. There are some nice themes here and there. They work well with the upbeat nature of the music. As far as other songs on the album that I liked, I'd say all of them were at least good. "The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You)" works pretty well as an opener. It sets everything up pretty well for what to expect. Their cover of Van Morrison's "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" was the other hit from this album in the UK, and it's pretty solid as well. I like the strings on that one. Overall, I'm pretty impressed by this one. Dexys Midnight Runners managed to exceed my expectations a bit by making a full album that's worth a listen. Did they make any others? Well, we'll get there when we get there. For now, my opinions are pretty positive. These guys are a-okay in my books. Light 4/5.

Pretty good, "Come on Eileen" is a banger!

In England, if the DJ doesn't play Come On Eileen at your wedding disco, the marriage isn't legally binding. When this album started with someone saying 'Ladies and gentlemen', I thought they were going to announce that the buffet was open. This is a nice reminder though why it became ubiquitous - it's a great song, and this whole album is a lot of fun.

Very nice to get to listen beyond Come On Eileen! I like their additions to the base of the 80s rock feeling sometimes celtic, sometimes a bit like ska? Hard to describe but found it a fun album!

no okej, przeleciało

COME ON EILEEN

Good melodies and cool strings and horns on many songs.

They sound like Brian when he does his Kermit the Frog impression.

(64/100)

Shoobidoobip, shoobidoobap, toodooo...

fun! come on eileen!

I've only ever known Dexys Midnight Runners for "Come on Eileen". But I'm glad to have heard the rest of this album; it's a lot of fun. I particularly liked "Jackie Wilson Said", "All in All", "Plan B", and "I'll Show You"

They are a weird looking band but that doesn’t apply here. So moving on… Ok so, this is really nothing special. It has a sound that separates itself from most of the 80’s blah blah sound. The horns are a nice added touch and Come on Eileen is just so far above big 80’s songs. That’s what keeps this album from being low to low mid. I’ve got nothing else to say. It’s just ok but with such a big known song on this album. It treads water easily. Choice cut: Come on Eileen

This is a fun album w just a few truly memorable moments

Gostei bastante. Bem divertido e animado

Third album of this band I have gotten as a pick, and first one that is finally worth listening to. This album is pretty much a banger, that is only held back from even further greatness by an extra long run time and some talking that I ended up skipping. 4.25 / 5

Not sure what happened between this album and Don't Stand Me Down, but this was leagues above that album. Vocals were actually present and pretty darn good overall, with maybe just a few instances of being a bit too over the top. Love the upbeat tracks, especially 'Come On Eileen', and the dynamic, unique musicianship. I'd put this around a solid 3.5, but seeing as I could definitely see myself revisiting this album I lean toward the 4 star.

Me gustó, gran sonido como álbum, 3.8 tal vez en una próxima escucha pueda subir.

Was not expecting this album to be so solid. Low 4, my biggest gripe is the quasi ska stuff going on but overall enjoyable

I was a fan of this album. I like the energy and the electric feel of the music. I especially liked Jackie Wilson Said, Until I Believe in my Soul, and of course Come on Eileen

It’s between this one and the debut for which Dexys album I liked the best. But three is still two too many. This is one with the big hit everyone knows though. The second half of this flows very well. Has someone told them that 25 or 6 to 4 was already made before they just tried to do it again with Let’s Make This Precious? Favorite songs were The Celtic Soul Brothers, All In All, Plan B, Until I Believe In My Soul, and Come On Eileen.

Nice one, not only Eileen rocks here

Upbeat. Just ok

They couldn’t even beat the Be Sharps at the Grammys

They definitely show that they're not a one hit wonder who can't make good music. The music on here is objectively quite good and feels a little experimental for the time. That being said, besides it being high quality, it mostly just bored me

Deres bedste album fra deres originale run, og det ved jeg fordi vi har haft alle 3 på listen lol. God unik lyd der passer til sangerens stemme, come on Eileen lyder ikke som en kæmpe outlier. Apropos come on Eileen, det er en kæmpe bop og der er en del gode numre derudover

Bedste Dexys Midnight Runners vi har haft, og de har generelt været fede! Umulig at klassificere, mange bangers.

What a closer 😂 Best of the 3 we've had ...

Conjures memories of the 80’s. Some good tunes on here and Rowland has a great voice. Not as good as their debut but still a cracking album

Joyful couple of opening tracks with horns to the fore. All in All not so good. The Van the Man cover Jocky Wilson Said (sic) is sick. A few fillers and then the classic Come on Eileen. Singing like a less suave Bryan Ferry. Bonus tracks on the version I listened to Show Me and Let’s Get This Straight From The Start also strong. 3.8. (Love Rowland’s 1999 covers album also - so bad it’s good.)

Wanted to like this more but was a bit too fiddley-dee for me even with the classics and once again his vocals are a little annoying after a while. Probably a 7 but marked to a 6 because i anticipated liking it more

Strong album, great horns, violins, backing vocals (sublime on Liars A to E). Come on Eileen a great discovery at the end too ;-) Seems like over their first 3 albums they transitioned to longer looser songs - although wont know for certain until I complete my Dexys Education, Benjamin Button style, with Soul Rebels.

I do like a bit of Dexys. They are far more than “Come on Eileen” and deserve more recognition than they receive. I will die on that hill. That said, I prefer the out and out soul influence which provides a framework for SFTYSR, and though it’s still showcased here the Celtic strings take it in a new and different direction. A banging opener demonstrates this very well before the soul horns dominate on the second track, then we get a slower waltz on the third. It’s definitely not formulaic! Bonus point for anyone who can even sing “wear beaten down eyes, sunk in smoke dried faces, they’re so resigned to what their fate is” anywhere near in time to the song!

Such a delightfully unique album! Such an intoxicating and rich album full of warmth and Celtic folk mixed with soul! This is the type of album I would play if I was having a rough day to cheer myself up.

There are some okay elements in this but I just can’t deal with the super affected vocals. It’s kinda like if The Cure only had happy songs and no subtlety. Ugh I still have one more album of these guys in my backlog.

Kitschy album with some ok songs

They’re not a one hit wonder

The faster songs on here are the kind of music that are good to hear live in a pub with several pints of beer. Of course there are millions of bar bands like that, so it's not going to be a standout for me. And the slow songs required lots of patience on my part, but that's no surprise. It closes with their big hit "Come On Eileen," which is fun. (Of course that song always reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/575/) So, I feel bad not rating it higher since Kevin on the cover there looks so sad, but: 3/5.

Prior to beginning this challenge I listened to Kevin Rowlands’s autobiography and did a lot of listening to Dexys and his solo stuff. So I probably didn’t need the first three LPs to pop up in the first 100 LPs. If you're critical of Dexy's lps rest assured so's Kev! Restlessly searching for perfect never quite finding and not settling when he got pretty close. I'll be honest, Young Soul Rebels, and post-reformation lps One Day I'm going to Soar and the cover lp Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul would be the three of their lps I'd say you shuld hear before you die. Once I was at a festival and Elton John (an elderly pop pianist who's Americans will probably be surprised to learn has had more hits than just Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) was banging away doing his poorly enunciated Chas & Dave thing on he main stage. Went to see Dexys in the tent. Beforehand the lad next to me complained about the people only interested in hearing songs they heard before, then spent the whole set calling for Eileen. Which they didn't play because they wanted to play their current album, which was theatrical and had a narrative arc that Eileen didn't fit. That illustrates the contrary nature of Kev. And testament to the endure power of Eileen. Even here they leave it until the last. Eileen is perhaps a millstone in the public perception. Kevin, normally very dapper, is forever in dungarees in the public imagination. BUT Eilleen still saves misfiring wedding discos 45 years. And consider when it came out, 1982, the fun years of Punk, New Wave, 2 Tone, Post Punk experimentalism were being replaced by regiments of pretentious but vacous - Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet. Yet here was a song by a band that were unassamedly intellectual that you could dance to. A band that were fun and clever. A band that looked to the future whilst acknowledging the music of the past.

Muso’s of the world erupt at an album of fun tunes.

I, as I would imagine is the case for most people, have not heard anything from Dexys Midnight Runners other than Come On Eileen. At least not that I know of. That song's a banger though. So this album is a really fun British new wave with some horns thrown in and it all has a vaguely Celtic tinge. It's probably not going to blow anyone away but it's a really fun album to listen to in the background. Like this would be great to throw on when you have a summer party in the backyard. Suddenly Come On Eileen starts and everyone realizes where they've heard this band and starts to sing as loud as they can before finding that they don't actually know all the words to a song they've heard 9,756 times. I'd buy this in the record shop if I ever saw it. 3.75/5

It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d never be able to suffer through an entire album’s worth of this dude’s singing. The instrumentals are cool. I liked the violin, but good heavens his voice.

fun album. liked it a lot more than i thought it would.

Fun

Good blend of pop and soul

ай філ віерд

There are 3 (three!) Dexys Midnight Runners album on this list. 3 (three!) albums for the band that might be THE one-hit-wonder band. Get off it.

i want to blow my fucking brains out

Ned so viel freud gha ade mitternachts jogger. next time maybe

Ahhh hed mi biz gnervt Au chli gemein, wills eich su na e vibe wär

This was ok. I only knew Come On Eileen because I consider this band to be a one hit wonder. I didn’t mind this although it got to be a little long.

Послушал. Пишу отзыва значительно позже. Даже не помню. что там было. Вот такая музыка.

Buen color, y ritmos, algunos temas ya son clasicos

Nice it's an interesting mix of Celtic and rock, not particularly for me to repeat.

I like his unique voice. I am also interested in the way it kinda has, like, ska undertones (I'm guessing before ska was really a thing?) I can't think of a mood or situation where I'd opt to listen to this, but I enjoyed it all the same. Also, who doesn't love "Come One Eileen"?

Very surprised at how much I liked an album from a band I thought was merely a one-hit wonder.

"Come on Eileen" and some good works by the strings saves this from one-star territory, but I really want nothing to do with this lead singer.

The only noteworthy aspect of this album was “Come on Eileen” supplanted “Billie Jean” as the #1 song on the Billboard top 100 list in 1983, although not entirely deservingly so.

My first time listening to Dexys Midnight Runners besides Come On Eileen. I was optimistic for the album as I really enjoy that song. However, that is definitely the highlight of the album. It wasn't bad by any means but never reaches anywhere close to those heights. The falsetto vocals became aggravating. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)

Overlong, but reasonably enjoyable.

Encore un groupe et un album qui ne me disait rien et il faut bien dire que même si l'instrumentation est riche et qu'on a une interprétation très cool, ça m'est vraiment entré par une oreille et sorti par l'autre. J'en retiens pas grand-chose et si j'étais un peu subjectif, je mettrais 2. Mais si je dois être honnête, c'est pas assez mauvais pour ne pas mériter un 3. Mais je n'ai rien à dire de plus dessus.

Good songs but not really my cup of tea. Very catchy tunes for sure.

This is a fun album with plenty of energy. I like the fiddles and I like the brass. Come On Eileen is an epic-tier bop, and should be judged as such, rather than on the basis that people are now tired of it because it's been way over-played.

I like the group's name 2

This is a band whose name I could never conjure up during bar trivia. The rest of the album is ok -- it seems like these guys are on here multiple times, and this is their one album that should probably be on here given come on eileen. Some brass, some fun beats. A solid 3* Highlights: come on eileen (I legitimately really like this song, it's not just a highlight because I knew it)

It’s a pretty strong pop record. It took me some time to realise this but it’s very awesome.

Det rycker i benen! Vit soul kan vara så fantastisk. Här möter en new wave/indie-feeling, soulens sväng. Klar femma!

The only song I knew was probably the only one most people knew - "Come On Eileen" - which is absolute 80's banger, so I was intrigued to hear what the rest of the album sounded like. I enjoyed this initially, but it went on about half an hour too long. After that it started to feel whiny and sameish. It took 2 listens to get through

There was a girl in school back in the eighties who used to insist Dexys albums were pretty good, and we used to laugh at her because of 'Come on Eileen' and 'Jackie Wilson Said'. 40 years later, I've realised my error. Sorry Cathy, or was it Emma? Anyway, sorry.

Well... first of all i don't like the singer with his tendency to overly prolong the high notes. He comes across as annoying. Secondly, the songs are competent, but nothing to write home about... or include in a list like this, for that matter. (Yes, I know, "Come On, Eileen", yada, yada , yada, but even that severely overplayed song can't save this.) 2/5

Early 80s pop with a touch of 70s funky feel, pretty distinct to their contemporaries

A very strange experience where my faith in the masses is once again affirmed when we all collectively lifted up the best song from this album, “Come On Eileen”. Because there’s some good stuff on here, but so much of it is so similar. I loved the opening “Celtic Soul Brothers” for its dramatic energy, but by song 3 or 4 I kinda got bored of every minute sitting in the same register for singing and instrumentation. “Let’s Make This Precious” also had me going for a while. I love the horns on much of this record, especially on “Jackie Wilson Said”. I just don’t know with this one. Some variation in composition would’ve really sent it above and beyond for me. A nice piano ballad, some softer guitars, some different vocal deliveries. Little things like that would’ve really helped. Let’s go firm 3/5 on this one. High on the enjoyability scale, not so high on the composition/tracklisting.

It was trite when it came out and it’s not aged well at all.

Not a huge fan of the album

So ahhhh

Like the mix of horns and string instruments. Seems to be many influences and the album is pretty fun. It does get a bit repetitive. 3/5 Might listen again

it’s fine

Come on Eileen is great

The vocals are incredibly annoying.

I think I'd have to listen to it more to decide, but it relies less on quips that "Don't Stand Me Down" did, continues with good soundscape, while vocals not being as irritating this time.

This is a bit of a head-scratcher for me, but it makes more sense aesthetically once you read the wiki on the group, the album and the bandleader. I’m not sure it would ever really hit outside of the bubble it was created within, though ‘Come On Eileen’ is a perennial banger for a reason. Ultimately, ‘Irish folk by way of Northern Soul’ only really needs Van Morrison, as evidenced by a cover of his that’s included on this record. I bet they were really fun live, though.

The singing ruined it but I thought the instrumentals were not bad.

I liked it. The voice sounded familiar at first and I couldn't pin point why until I heard come on eileen. It was good!

I think some people on here are going to be turned off over the fact that Dexy's Midnight Riders are on the list of the 1001 Albums You Should Hear Before You Die, "The "Come On Eileen" guys?" But taking it as its own thing, this album is actually pretty good. It gets bogged down a bit in the second half due to Kevin Rowland's love of Philadelphia Soul on the songs "Liars A to E" and "Until I Believe in My Soul," but the first half of this album is great with "The Celtic Soul Brothers" and a really good cover of Van Morrisson's "Jackie Wilson Said." You do have to be in a good mood to listen to "Come On Eileen," but if you are, it's a really incredible listen

I don't like Come on Eileen. The rest of the album was in the similar vein. Not for me, Clive.

How can anyone dislike this band? Great songs, their Jackie Wilson Said cover is brilliant. And of course, the iconic Come On Eileen. The As It Should Have Sounded version is great.

Come On Eileen ist Kindheits-Soundtrack, der Stil des Albums aber furchtbar.

Gmögiger Folk welcher manchmal eher wie ein Katzenchor klingt. Und ein Riesenhit Come on Eileen. Das versöhnt dann wieder.

6/10 Not as timeless as eg Funeral by Arcade Fire, but a lot of fun. The big hits are phenomenal but the rest feels a little shallow.

This one is a tough one to review. There have been moments where "Come On Eileen" moved me to tears. I still think it's a brilliant song, just as "Jackie Wilson Said" - two gloriously uplifting, yet deeply melancholic songs that are very dear to me. Then, a couple of years back, I got to interview Kevin Rowland for "The Feminine Divine" (make of that record what you will), and he was just an angry old man, constantly questioning my way of how I phrased my questions, asking me if I had even heard the music, etc. I had the pleasure of talking to a lot of great musicians - Graham Nash, Tears for Fears, Mike Rutherford of Genesis, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Mike Patton, just to name a few. And *none* of them were so full of themselves as Rowland. I can't listen to "Too-Ray-Ay" without thinking of this talk. That being said, this is not a bad album. What it lacks in variety, it makes up with high quality, quirky production (especially on the re-jiggered version from 2022, or so), and a stunning vocal performance. But yeah, overall this is not a lot more than just "good". Art that's exploiting a sense of nostalgia. Meh ...

cool

Could be better, reminds me of country music and honestly It’snot really my style. Change my mind ?